DAYTON -- Our neighborhoods are the backbone of our community, but have been slowly deteriorating for years.

"The houses they leave run down the homeless people living in them, graffiti," said Peter Peyton who believes in his neighborhood downtown so much, he invested $30,000 of his own money in it.

"That's why I moved up here and renovated this property here because I know Dayton is really up-and-coming.

But heâs going to need some help, so his business does not have to sit all by itself next to a bunch of vacant properties.

"We've got to stop allowing outside buyers to come and drain the market value and abandon them and leave the neighborhood deteriorating like it has been over the last 10 years," said A.J. Wagner.

His supporters gathered at the downtown market Friday to shed light on the importance of revitalizing our neighborhoods.

"What separates me from the other candidates is my desire to really crackdown on housing inspections," said Wagner. "We will put it in our housing inspection projects so they can get the job done, bring properties up to code on the exterior and make those outside owners accountable for the damage they are going to our neighborhoods."

In his plan, Wagner wants to-Stabilize and Re-energize Residential Neighborhoods-Promote and Advance Dayton Region-Invest in Neighborhoods-Create a Community Participation Program

"We like to be more involved with the people that make the changes that they would show more interest in coming down and talking with us," said Peyton. "We live in the neighborhoods. We work in the neighborhoods. This is our livelihood."

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